UAE team keen to impress in Abu Dhabi Tour
Skipper Costa hopes to make mark on gruelling climb to Jebel Hafeet
Don’t be surprised if UAE Team Emirates ends up making their mark straightaway in the Abu Dhabi World Tour starting today.
Bolstered by the huge backing they received from Emirates airline, UAE Team Emirates is raring to give their home fans and sponsors lots to cheer. Skipper Rui Costa was of the view that the team has the perfect blend of riders — sprinters and climbers — to put up a good show.
“We will be competitive in fighting for top finishes and try to give our team and sponsor satisfaction straight away,” said Costa, who will himself be leading the UAE Team Emirates’ charge in the gruelling climb up Jebel Hafeet which will decide the outcome of the general classification.
My day
“Jebel Hafeet will be my day as other stages are for sprinters. I have never climbed that mountain, but I have a fair idea about it after what my teammates explained to me. I’m coming here in good shape with success in Oman and I’m keen to do well on that stage,” revealed Costa, adding he was relying on the team to place him perfectly for the climb.
The team also has South African climbing sensation Louis Meintjes in the ranks, who has been a revelation in the Tour de France last year. He was on the heels of some of the bigwigs, made it to the top-10 and was second in the best young rider’s category.
Meintjes, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Tuesday, revealed that he wasn’t sceptical about a new team coming through.
“If a new team comes through it goes through the right process and when they were given the World Tour licence then you know everything is fine and you trust the system,” said Meintjes, adding the internal structure still being the same as last year has put everyone at ease.
“Just a few changes and that too is good because you learn something new, understand new culture and make new friends. I think that is great,” said Meintjes, whose assessment of his last season’s success was a little bit of ‘luck’ to go with hard work.